The present invention relates to an arrangement for controlling the velocity distribution of a fluid stream and more particularly an apparatus and accompanying method for controlling the velocity distribution of a fluid stream, such as air, as it passes through a confined, flow-through, filtering passage.
It is well known in the filtration art to encase a filtration member in a border frame for insertion in a flow-through passage, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,944, issued to T. A. Justice on Jul. 21, 1998, wherein a pleated filter member is surroundingly enclosed by a flow-through border member with the upstream and downstream panels of the border member having large openings therethrough of indiscriminate size and configuration. It also is well known to centrally concentrate pleats in a pleated filter media and to vary the amplitude thereof to address the actual velocity profile, capacity, efficiency, and resistance of filter media, attention being directed to U.S. Pat. No. 5,897,776; issued to M. R. Mallabone on Apr. 27, 1999. Further, it is known to employ spacer strands of different cross-sectional thickness to support the pleats of filter media such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,597, issued to Kyung-Ju Choi on Apr. 4, 2000. Finally, it is generally known to mathematically determine velocity flow of a fluid stream through development of the Hagen-Poisuelle law, attention being directed to pages 44-47 of Transport Phenomena by Bird, Steward and Lightfoot, published 1960.
The present invention, recognizing the importance and desirability of velocity distribution control of a fluid stream in an enclosed flow passage and particularly the importance of controlling the overall velocity distributed of a particulate laden stream of air to be passed through filtration media disposed in a confined flow-through passage, provides a unique fluid stream velocity distribution control arrangement which allows for a preselected overall velocity distribution control of such fluid stream whether it be preselectively uniform throughout in a flow-through passage or preselectively variable in accordance with the nature and type of treatment to be employed with request to such flow-through passage.
The unique overall velocity distribution control arrangement including an inventive apparatus and companion, inventively unified method of the disclosure hereinafter is both straight forward and economical, requiring a minimum of parts and a minimum of steps in construction, maintenance and use, and, at the same time, allows for ready configuration variation whenever desired in a fluid flow system.
Various other features of the present invention will become obvious to one skilled in the art upon reading the disclosure as set forth herein.
More particularly, the present invention provides a fluid stream velocity distribution control arrangement comprising: a fluid flow through confined passage including an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet, the flow-through confined passage having an inner peripheral surface between the inlet and outlet thereof; a velocity control member disposed in cooperation with the flow through passage, the member being sized to extend fully across the inner peripheral surface with the peripheral edge of the velocity distribution control member snuggly abutting the inner peripheral surface of the flow-through passage; and, a plurality of spaced flow-through openings in the velocity distribution control member preselectively spaced and configured to control the overall velocity distribution of a fluid passing therethrough in a preselected manner.
The present invention further provides the novel and inventively unified companion method of controlling the velocity distribution of a fluid stream comprising; passing the fluid stream through a confined flow-through passage zone including an upstream inlet and downstream outlet with an inner peripheral passage zone surface extending therebetween; and, controlling the velocity distribution of such fluid stream as it flows through the passage zone by passing such fluid stream through a plurality of spaced flow-through apertures cooperative with the passage zone, the spaced apertures being configured to control the velocity distribution of the fluid stream flowing through the passage zone.
Another novel feature present invention is the utilization of the aforedescribed apparatus and method in combination with a filtering arrangement disposed in the flow-through passage zone, the inventive velocity distribution control arrangement being employed with a particulate carrying air stream and the filter media being an air filter media of any one of several possible configurations. Further, the present invention provides for the novel utilization of a formula derived from the aforementioned known Hagen-Poiseulle law to control overall fluid stream velocity distribution in a preselected manner with respect to an overall cross-section of a flow-through passage.
It is to be understood that various changes can be made by one skilled in the art in one or more of the several parts and several steps of the invention disclosed herein without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention. For example, the configuration and spacing of apertures can be varied with concomitant varying overall cross-sectional changes in velocity distribution of the fluid stream passing through the confined passage. Further, location of the velocity distribution control arrangement and the type and configuration of the filter media can be varied in accordance with the preselected results desired.